Oficiales electrotécnicos.- ETO interim ticketing arrangements published
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- Published on Wednesday, 22 January 2014 05:24
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Interim arrangements for the certification of electro-technical officers (ETO) have been released by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) following a long campaign by Nautilus to have their skills formally recognised.
The Union’s campaign paid off with the agreement for an ETO Certificate of Competence (CoC) which reflects the 2010 ‘Manila amendments’ to the Seafarer Training Certification and Watchkeeping Convention and Code (STCW).role of the Electro-Technical Officer
In an era when even somebody who uses a home computer “interfaces” with sophisticated technology and will, from time to time, value some IT support, we should not be surprised that ships have become infinitely more sophisticated. Some years ago one of the engineering officers would act as the “electrical specialist” while a Radio Officer might, in addition to his or her communication duties, look after the modest amount of electronic equipment that was carried, such as the radar or echo sounder. Radio Officers are no longer carried as communication equipment has become more “user friendly” and no longer requires a facility with the Morse code.
On such ships as ferries or cruise ships, the quantity of electrical and electronic equipment has greatly grown and has required the services of a specialist team. The role of the Electro-Technical Officer (ETO) has been devised to answer this requirement, and aboard such ships fulfils an essential need. An additional and interesting career option has thus emerged to help to operate the sophisticated ships of the present.
The training of the ETO is more specialised than that provided as part of the conventional engineering syllabus, being weighted towards the ship’s services that will use the electricity generated by the ship’s systems. The ETO will be trained to be familiar with the vessel’s considerable array of automation systems, alarm, monitoring and control systems, navigation and nautical equipment, IT outfits, along with communication systems. The ETO will be more of an electronics specialist than a conventional engineer, although he or she will be required to understand the principles of power generation and distribution. On a large passenger ship there will be a huge amount of electronic and electrical equipment involved in the provision of passenger services, from those which control the internal “climate” of the ship to the considerable amount of entertainment equipment, and even the equipment that will control the revenue of the ship. A passenger ship which might be considered a cross between a shopping centre, entertainment complex and a major hotel will need an ET team to keep it all running.
Many of the best maritime colleges will now offer comprehensive training for ETO specialists, many of whom will be sponsored throughout their training by shipping companies or ship managers. The training will be a mixture of classroom and laboratory/workshop sessions interspersed with periods at sea as a trainee ETO, which will give the candidate a good grounding in the sort of work that once he or she is qualified, will become the familiar pattern. The ETO will also be expected to undergo relatively frequent periods of retraining, as specialist equipment is introduced in what is a fast-changing area.
Further information: consult nearest maritime colleges about ETO training
‘It is very welcome that definitive information has now been released by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency after much pressing by Nautilus,’ said senior national secretary Allan Graveson. ‘The certification of ETOs has been an objective of the Union since the 1980s and this is a significant step forward.’
Funding for certification might also be available for members through the Nautilus JW Slater Fund, added Mr Graveson.
The ETO CoC was brought in through the STCW 2010 amendments via regulation III/6 (see Annex I – High Voltage courses). It was introduced to give those working in these capacities formal recognition of their technical abilities and to provide an international standard which would enhance employment opportunities.
A full report and frequently asked questions are published in the December issue of the Telegraph.
21/11/2013